TETRAHEDRAL GEOMETRY/TOPOLOGY SEMINAR
ANNOUNCEMENT
DATE:
LOCATION: Hempfield
High School, Room 213 (directions
attached)
followed by
dinner at a place to be determined.
“A
gentle introduction to the homotopy algebra of string
field theory”
Abstract: String
theory regards particles as (tiny) one-dimensional objects in space-time -
paths or loops. String FIELD theory deals with functions defined on the
space of all such strings. String field theory is multi-layered.
The bottom layer is the topology of string configurations which in turn gives
rise to `convolution' algebras of fields. This fits naturally in to the
existing framework in algebraic topology developed for studying spaces of the homotopy type of (iterated) loop spaces. Various moduli spaces are involved;
in particular, the moduli spaces of configurations of
points in $R^n$ as well as the more traditional
moduli spaces of configurations of points on a
Riemann surface.
A traditional mathematical approach to particle physics considers particles as
mathematical points which, as time goes by, trace out world lines - curves in
space-time. Attempts to unite the fundamental forces of physics in a quantum
theoretical context have lead to the idea that particles may in fact be `strings' , extended one dimensional objects but of such a
small extent that we can not observe the extent directly. Physicists deal with
two kinds of strings: open strings are paths in space and closed strings are
free loops in space. Physical properties of such strings such as
vibrations could have physically observable effects, even though our
instruments do not permit direct resolution of these minute objects themselves. As such
strings move or evolve over time, they would trace out a world sheet instead of
a world line, but life (the mathematics) gets really interesting when particles
interact..
EVERYONE WELCOME
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO ANYONE
INTERESTED
The Tetrahedral Geometry/Topology Seminar is
sponsored jointly by